CAN warns Osinbajo to stop discrediting it to win Buhari’s heart

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has responded to an argument made by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at a Pastors’ conference in Lagos put together by Apostle Wale Adefarasin and Rev. Abayomi Kasali last week.

Osinbajo had said at the event that, “Part of the problem is the failure of Christian leadership to take its rightful place. We focus our minds on something we call the Islamic agenda. We look for it everywhere as if we are looking for demons.

“But where is the Christian agenda. Are we not entitled to one? We are too divided as Christians to have an agenda.”

In a response on Wednesday, the CAN president, Rev. Samson Oyekunle, advised Osinbajo to stop discrediting the organisation in his bidto “win the heart of the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.”

“The body of Christians in Nigeria have long been aware of the grand plot to Islamise Africa, with Nigeria as a major focus, stressing that Nigerian government has been working in tandem with the Organisation Of Islamic Countries and Islam In Africa Organisation to achieve this,” the CAN president said in a message signed by his media aide, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji.

The organization asked Osinbajo to crosscheck his facts before making public remarks on the issue. It advised him to “use his good office to correct the imbalance in the Nigerian system and other alleged unconstitutional actions noted with the government in order to reduce tension in the polity.”

The cleric said that CAN has not been opposing, and would not oppose Islamic evangelism in any part of Nigeria, even if done with the support of the government since Christians also evangelise.

He however stressed that the Christian body will never support any government to make Islam a state religion under any guise.

“We are not opposed to Islamic evangelism by any Muslim group if done with peaceful motive; The Christians also exercise their constitutional rights to do so through revivals and gospel rallies,” the CAN leader said.